Composer Teaching Artist Training Program

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Download Guidelines and Application Form

Composer Teaching Artist Training Program

August 6 and 27, 2011
Perpich Center for Arts Education
Golden Valley, Minn.

Program Description:

What: The Composer Teaching Artist Training Program will develop the skills and capacity of composers in Minnesota to work with students and teachers in the classroom and/or afterschool and community settings. Up to twelve composers from across the state will be selected to participate in the training program. Selected composers must be available to participate in two full-day workshops on August 6 and 27, 2011 and must commit to completing assignments between workshops. Trainings will take place at the Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley, MN. Meals, housing for the two nights prior to workshops and mileage reimbursement will be provided for those outside the Twin Cities metro area.

Why: In today's schools, providing adequate opportunities for students to create original music is a challenge. "Create" is part of the state and national standards for arts education, yet unlike other disciplines such as language and visual arts, creating music is often too intimidating for educators to take on due to their lack of training and experience in the field. The American Composers Forum is best positioned to tackle this barrier and provide teachers with our best resources to assist in meeting this objective: composers who live and work within our community.

How: Teaching Artist Training for Composers will build the capacity of composers to work as teaching artists by using the Artist to Artist training model developed collaboratively through the Perpich Center's Arts and Schools as Partners (ASAP) program. Artist to Artistuses a collaborative inquiry - or reflective protocols - method to examine the work that teaching artists do. Program participants will develop deeper understandings of artists' planning, instructional practices, and reflection strategies by experiencing an artist's lesson and then responding to what they observed and experienced using a facilitated reflection protocol. This demystifies the extremely complex aspects of teaching by helping participants clearly identify and name what they experience. This process informs the practice of both the presenting and responding artists. Facilitators will guide participants as they share teaching practices. Participants will learn about fostering partnerships and developing relationships with teachers, schools, and community groups. At the end of this training all participants will have:

• A deeper understanding of how to translate what they know and do as composers to the classroom setting.
• Experience in what it feels like to be a learner themselves and how to connect that to improving and adjusting their own teaching practice.
• A well-developed lesson plan of their own and access to other lesson plans developed through the program.
• A well-constructed teaching artist resume.
• Increased access to teaching opportunities across MN.
• Ongoing opportunities to connect with other Composer Teaching Artists.

Eligibility:

• Composers working in all styles and with varied experience as teaching artists are encouraged to apply. Prior experience as a teaching artist is beneficial, but not required.

• Composers should possess an interest in the artistic process, critical thinking and school relationships.
• Composers should have a desire to work in groups and to give and receive critical peer feedback.
• Composers must reside within the state of Minnesota.
• Composers must be available to participate in all workshop activities.
• Due to the fact that participants must be eligible to work with students in a school setting, all selected composers must agree to a background check. A clean background check is required of any participants.
• To apply, an applicant need not be a member of the Forum. However, the selected composers must be a member prior to the start of the training program. Applicants may join/renew if selected.

To Apply, Please Send:

• Application form, completed and signed
• A résumé, biography or vita including any experience as an educator/teaching artist
• An original sample lesson plan or unit outline that addresses the creation of music. If you do not have a prepared lesson plan, please construct one utilizing the outline provided with the application form.
• Work samples: these should be compositions that represent your best work and breadth of skill. Samples can include: a) Up to three recordings or videos, preferably on CD/DVD. Please clearly label the tracks on the case and on the disk. b) Up to three written scores, preferably corresponding to the recorded works.
• A $5 check (made to: American Composers Forum) to cover return postage for the return of your materials (optional)
• Please do not staple any of the supporting documents.
• All submissions must be postmarked by June 10, 2011.

Mail Materials To:

Composer Teaching Artist Program Application

American Composers Forum

332 Minnesota Street, E-145

Saint Paul, MN 55101-1300

Who may Apply:

Composers who live in Minnesota.

For more information contact:

Suzanna Altman

Email Suzanna

(651) 251-2840

Funded by generous gifts from:

Mardag Foundation